The Ice that Wilted the Rose
by MelodiousAlchemist
Summary: Takamagahara has once again chosen to reset the timeline, and now new events are beginning to unfold. This time, it centers around Major Jin Kisaragi and Tsubaki Yayoi. What will the two of them go through this time around? Set in the Continuum Shift timeline. Rated T for future language.
1. The Beginning of it All

The city streets were filled with the sounds of many different and unique voices, and the calls of children were heard every which direction as many of them ran about and played their childish games. Parents talked amongst each other, and they laughed at the many stories they each had to tell about their children. The sight was enough to make a certain Major of the Novis Orbis Librarium stop and recall his past. His blonde hair hung in his face, a piece of it drifting in front of his eyes and swaying to the gentle breeze.

His hand was placed firmly upon his hip, and his gaze seemed to be lost in a distant, yet not so distant at all, world. The only thing that drew him back to reality was the feeling of something slamming against his back. He immediately whipped around, his blonde hair following his body's movements as gripped the hilt of his sword. He was surprised to find no one behind him, but below him was a different story. He glanced down to see a small child holding a ball in his hands, a guilty and embarrassed book on his face.

"I'm so sorry Mister… we accidentally kicked it too hard…" he said in a meek and quiet tone. The man looked at him for a moment longer, and then removed his hand from the hilt of his weapon. He gave a quiet sigh, and then placed his hand gently upon the boy's head. "It's alright… just make sure to control yourself okay? That's something you're gonna need to learn," he said as he turned around and began walking off. He heard some footsteps behind him, and he gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see not only the boy following him, but his little group of friends as well.

The man stopped, and the boy bowed respectfully. "I just wanted to say thank you for not getting mad, Mister… and thank you for being so understanding…" The man gave another quiet sigh, and then shook his head. "It's nothing, really. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work," he said as he turned around once again. He heard the boy yell something, and then his friends yelled in response, and then he heard the stomping of feet as they all ran the opposite direction. The man's green eyes drifted down to the ground which he was walking upon, and he slowly returned to the memories which he had been drawn from.

The grass was seemingly endless, and the way it flowed with the wind much resembled that of the sea as the gentle breeze carried itself across the open plains. The sound of heavy footsteps and tired breathing were the only thing that could be heard as the small ball was continuously kicked between the two players. "Slow down, Jin-nii-sama!" the young girl exclaimed as she desperately tried to keep up with her blonde haired friend. "No way, Tsubaki!" was all he replied as he laughed playfully and kicked the ball even further away from them.

Several minutes passed, and both children were now laying face-down on the grass, their tired little bodies doing all they could to recover their burned energy. "You're… way too fast for me… Jin-nii sama…" the young, red-haired girl panted as she glanced over at him. "I can never get the ball… from you!" The young boy laughed again, and he nodded. "That's right, Tsubaki… but don't you worry… you'll be able to… catch me one day! Just you wait!" he exclaimed as he gave her a cheerful smile.

His young playmate gave a gentle smile in reply, and gently plucked a blade of grass from in front of her. She placed it against her lips and blew gently, a small whistle coming from it. This caught Jin's attention, and he rolled over onto his belly and propped his head up on his hands. "Did you learn that from Nii-san, Tsubaki?" he asked as he tilted his head at her. His young friend gave a small nod, and then closed her eyes as she continued to blow gently on her blade of grass. The soft whistling made Jin's body relaxed and calm, and he continued to watch his young playmate.

Jin was once again snapped back into reality when he realized the whistling wasn't just in his memories. He glanced around, and then turned his head towards the direction it seemed to be coming from. He followed the sound up some stairs into a small garden-like area, and he saw a young woman sitting on a bench that overlooked part of the city. He noticed her red hair, and he gave a quiet gasp. He tread beside her slowly, and took a seat ever so quietly beside her.

She continued her whistling for a few moments longer, and then opened her eyes to stare at the blade of grass in her hands. She then gave a yelp of surprise as she realized Jin was beside her, and she quickly moved the blade of grass to her side. "Major Kisaragi!" she exclaimed as she stood up and saluted him. Jin shook his head, and then watched as Tsubaki sat down beside him again. "What are you doing out here, Tsubaki? Aren't you supposed to be back at headquarters?" he asked as he brushed some hair out of his face.

Tsubaki didn't reply for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, but I thought I would stop and rest her for a moment. It was a quiet place, and it gave me some time to think and reflect," she replied as she stared at the ground in front of her. Nothing was said for a moment, and then a gentle breeze blew across the garden. "You were playing your grass whistle, Tsubaki…" Tsubaki quickly looked at him, and she wasn't sure how to respond. "I remember when you used to play it when we were kids," Jin continued as he gazed off into the blue sky.

Tsubaki gave a small gasp, and she ran her thumb along the blade of grass that was still residing in her hand. "You remember that?" she asked in a quiet voice. Jin gave an almost unnoticeable nod, and that earned a small smile from the red-haired woman. "That was so long ago, Jin. But, I can remember everything that ever happened like it only happened yesterday," she said as she played with a lock of her hair. Jin didn't respond, and she gave a quiet sigh. "Well, perhaps I should be heading back to headquarters now," she stated as she placed her hat upon her head. Jin looked up at her, and she bowed at the waist. "Good day, Major Kisaragi," she said as she turned on her heel and took off back towards the Library.

Jin sat there for a moment, and he felt something brush against his hand. He looked down and saw the blade of grass Tsubaki had been using being gently blown about by the wind. He took it in his hand, and he gave a quiet sigh. He slowly placed it against his lips, and blew gently. He sighed when nothing more than an odd and distorted noise sounded from the blade, and he shook his head. Jin rose to his feet and placed his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"_**Well… I guess I should be heading back too… there's a lot that needs to be done. But, I do suppose it was nice to have a visit to the past again.**_"


	2. The Years Go By

Several years had passed since that one fateful meeting between the Major and his lifelong friend. Many events had happened since then. Many decisions had been made, many paths had crossed, and many lives had been changed. The Major was now padding around the Librarium, and he noticed that his female friend was wandering the halls. His gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, and he then shook his head. "_No. I can't get involved with her. There's rumors going around that Captain Hazama gave her some orders… I'm not sure what they are, but whatever the hell they were, they couldn't have been good coming from him_," he thought as he turned on his heel and began walking in the opposite direction.

He heard a quiet grumble of profanity come from behind him, and he glanced over to see that the red-haired woman had dropped some papers that she had been carrying. He halted for a moment, and then shook his head. "_I know I'm going to regret this, but oh well_," he thought as he headed back towards her. He heard her muttering more profanity, and he knelt down to begin picking up some of the papers. He tapped the corner gently on her shoulder, and she gasped as she turned her attention to him. He looked at her for a moment, and she quickly ripped the papers from his hand and stood up, turning tail and running down the corridor.

Jin watched her go, and he gave a quiet sigh. "What the hell was all that about? She's never like that around me," he muttered as he turned around and stared at the floor moving steadily below him. He placed his hand on the hilt of his weapon, and he gave a deep sigh. "_I need some air_," he thought as he walked up several flights of stairs and opened the door that lead into the Hanging Gardens. He padded along until he reached a small patch of grass under one of the trees, and he slowly dropped to his knees.

He watched the water fall endlessly from the fountain in the center of the garden, sparkles of sunlight shimmering all through it. "_Why would Tsubaki act that way around me? She's never acted like that before. I mean, she's always been skittish and a bit of a clutz before, but she's never just up and run away like that. And the way she just snatched the papers out of my hand without even so much as a thank you… that's not the Tsubaki I know_," he thought as he watched the grass in front of him blow gently with the breeze.

He reached a hand in front of him, and then plucked a single blade of grass and held it in his hand. He placed it against his lips and blew gently, and still he could not replicate the soothing sound Tsubaki would make. "Several years have gone by… and still I'm not able to do what you do Tsubaki," he muttered as he opened his hand and watched the blade of grass be blown somewhere off in the distance. He blinked as he watched a small, bunny-like creature take several bounds down the pavement, and then stop to take a look at him.

Its nose twitched continuously, and its head tilted to the side as its chest seemed to be rising and falling at what looked like a hundred miles per hour. Jin watched as it ran its paw across its ear, and he sighed quietly. It very slowly hopped towards him, and it continued to watch him endlessly as it leapt up onto his leg. Jin wasn't quite sure what to do, so he just watched in curiosity as this bunny-like creature began to groom itself on his leg.

He very slowly raised his hand, and the furry creature seemed to seize up for a moment, and then it relaxed itself as it licked its paw and ran it across its muzzle. Jin very carefully laid his hand on its fur, and then ran it down the creature's back. The fuzzy creature's ears pricked up, and its head whipped from side to side. It then bolted away from Jin, and he was once again alone. "Seems like nothing wants to be around me today," he grumbled as he laid down on the grass and placed his hand across his middle.

He stared at the blue sky through the small openings in the leaves of the tree, and he very slowly closed his eyes. He sighed as he felt the wind blow gently across his chest, and his hair tickled his face just a bit. He felt the sun on his face, and he gave the smallest hint of a smile. He then began to feel uneasy as he realized the warmth from the sun was now gone from his cheeks. He very slowly opened his eyes, and his green ones met with someone's royal blue ones. He quickly sat up, and he saw Tsubaki sitting on her knees in front of him.

He blinked at her, and then glanced away. "_What are you doing here? I didn't think you wanted to be around me_," he said coldly as he placed his hands on his knees. Tsubaki placed her lightly clasped hand over her chest, and she looked away. "Jin… I'm sorry I acted like that… I just have a lot going on right now…" she said quietly. Jin scoffed, and Tsubaki sighed quietly. "Jin… I need you to understand that I'm sorry… please just believe me and understand when I say I have a lot going on," she continued as she looked at him.

Jin folded his arms across his chest, and Tsubaki looked down. "You can choose whether or not you accept my apology, Jin. I can't force you, but know that I won't be around forever… and I just hope that I can stay around a while longer and be there for you," she said as she stood up. She placed her hand gently upon Jin's head, and walked away, running a lock of his hair through her fingers as she continued on her way.

"_**I've been there for you since I was a child, Jin. But, we're grown now. Everything has changed, and we both knew that it would be this way.**_"


	3. An Old Reunion

"I ordered you to kill him, did I not?" The red-haired woman stood in front of the Captain's desk, and she refused to look at him. "Sir, you don't understand that what you're asking me to do is a very hard thing to accept," she said as she shot him a cold glare. He gave her one in return, and a shiver shot down her spine. "I wouldn't disobey my order, Ms. Yayoi. You know what happens to those who disobey orders," he replied, his voice cool and calm.

Tsubaki glanced away, and she didn't reply to what he had previously said. She said nothing for a few more moments, and she then gave the slightest of a nod. "As you command, Sir," she replied as she saluted him and then turned on her heel to walk out the door. The man sat entirely still as his door was slammed shut, and he gave a calm yet sadistic smile. "Everything shall soon fall into place…"

Jin now roamed the streets of Kagutsuchi, his goal set in his mind and nothing would be able to sway him from it. "_I must find Nii-San… and when I do… I'll make sure to kill him… I'll kill him so much there won't be anything left to kill at all_…!" he thought as a crazed grin spread across his lips. He turned a corner into a small alleyway, and he continued to follow it until he was lead into an open area.

He was stopped by a mid-sized creature in a yellow coat, and when further examined, it was revealed to be none other than the great hero, Jubei. Jin shot the cat a cold glare, and he pushed his way past him. "Out of the way, cat. I need to be on my way," he muttered. "Well, if that a'int downright rude, I reckon I don't know what is. That's not a great way to greet someone like me, ya know. You of all people should know that, a'int that right Jin Kisaragi?" Jin stopped dead in his tracks, and he glanced at the cat over his shoulder.

"How in the hell do you know my name?" he asked, a chilling tone in his words. The cat looked at him for a moment, and then he laughed. "I reckon now a'int the time for all of this chit-chat. You got more important things to worry 'bout, don'tcha?" Jin sighed deeply, and then placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. "I suggest you answer my question, cat, unless you'd like to be shattered to pieces," Jin replied, his glare like cold steel. Jubei's smile faded, and he looked at the man in front of him sternly.

"I wouldn't do that son. You're too bold, too rash. If ya think that's gonna get ya anywhere ya wanna go, y'er not gonna go anywhere no matter how hard ya try. Take a good long look at y'erself, boy. You think y'er all high and mighty, when in truth all ya are is y'erself. I know where y'er headin', and I know who y'er lookin' for. Take some friendly advice from an old feller like myself. Don't do it. No matter how much you wanna beat him, y'er not gonna be able to." Jin glared at the cat, and he scoffed. "I see now. You're here to do nothing but mock me and my strength. If that's so, how about we fight and we'll see just who's stronger than who," he said as he began to draw his blade from his side.

Jubei closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh, and he shook his head. "I a'int here for all those things ya just said. I'm here to tell ya that ya can't take things like this lightly. I won't fight ya, Jin. But, there's somethin' I think you should be aware of." This caught Jin's attention, and Jubei turned around as if he was about to walk off. "You're in a lot a trouble, and I suggest you do everythin' you can to get out of it. Because where you're headin', there a'int no going back. Ya need to keep the people ya care about close to ya, and make sure that nothin' happens to 'em. Very soon, I think you'll see that this old cat knows what he's talkin' about. And, oh, that red-haired friend of yours… I would stay away from her if I were you."

With those words, Jubei leapt from the ground onto a nearby roof, and then vanished from sight. Jin watched as the cat vanished, and he slowly shook his head. "_He couldn't have been talking about Tsubaki… Tsubaki has been by my side ever since we were kids_," he thought as he turned around and continued on his way. "_Tsubaki has always been with me… so why in the hell would he tell me something like that_?" he continued as he wandered inside the remains of an abandoned building.

He looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary, and then leapt up through a hole in the ceiling to the next floor. He looked around one more time, and then his eyes widened as he saw just who had been looking for. He twitched a bit, and a sadistic grin worked its way across his lips. He gripped the hilt of his sword in his hand, and then took a running leap towards the man he had spotted. He landed with his knee dead center in the man's back, and they crashed through the aged floor onto the floor below.

After the dust had cleared, the man in the red coat had drawn his sword, and had it pointed towards Jin. "Oh, Nii-San! I can't believe I found you again!" Jin exclaimed, his sword now drawn from its holder. The man scoffed, and he tightened his grip on his blade. "What the hell do you want, Jin?" he asked, his voice obviously making it clear he didn't want to be in this predicament. "Oh, you know what I want, Nii-San. How could you possibly forget!?" Jin replied as his sadistic grin grew wider.

"_**I'm going to have so much fun with you, Nii-San! I'm going to play with you lots and lots, and then I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you once and for all**_!"


	4. Will I Ever Be Strong Enough?

Tsubaki now wandered the streets of Kagutsuchi, her orders forcing her to follow the man she cared a great deal about. Her mind and her heart were raging a war with each other, and neither side could ever seem to win. Her mind was telling her to follow orders, otherwise she would get in a great amount of trouble with the Librarium and the Imperator. But, her heart was saying that something about this was wrong and she shouldn't need to take such drastic measures about it.

She released a small sigh, and her eyes drifted downward to watch the pavement run by beneath her feet. She then stopped as she noticed a small patch of ice on the ground. "Ice? There's no way this could just be here… it's the middle of the summer… Jin." She looked up and saw a trail of it leading down a small alleyway. She began to follow it, and she began to notice small spots of red that mixed itself in with the ice. The spots began to get more and more noticeable, until it eventually formed a smooth trail that followed the ice.

"Jin…!" she exclaimed to herself as she ran in the direction the trail was leading her. She followed it for a while longer, and she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that lay before her. There on the ground in front of her, beaten, bloodied, and mangled, lay Jin Kisaragi in a small pool of his own crimson red blood. "Jin!" Tsubaki cried out in shock as she ran to his side and placed her ear on his chest. "Oh my God… he's still breathing… hang on Jin…" she stammered, her eyes filling with tears and her heart feeling as if it was going to explode.

She placed her arms underneath his and began to slowly and carefully drag him down the street, and she was stopped by a cool and chilling voice coming from the side alleyway. "And just what on earth do you think you're doing, Ms. Tsubaki?" Tsubaki gave a small gasp, and she turned her attention to the green-haired man making his way towards her. "C-Captain Hazama…! Please, allow me to explain…!" she exclaimed as she looked up at him, her tears still streaming down her face.

He looked down at her, and then glanced down at the battle-worn Jin, and placed his hands inside his pockets. "This is the second time you've been caught disobeying orders, Ms. Yayoi… why have you not killed him like I ordered you to do?" Tsubaki couldn't answer him. She couldn't find it in her heart to tell him the truth out of fear of what he could possibly do to Jin. "Sir… with all do respect… I was going to carry out your orders, but then when I found him like this, I couldn't do it. I live my life with honor, Sir. And it is unhonorable to slay a man when he is wounded and has no way to defend himself."

Hazama looked at her for a moment, and he then gave a quiet sigh. "I do suppose you're right. Very well, take him to the nearest clinic. Allow him time to rest, and recover. But, if you fail me again, Ms. Yayoi…" He shot her a cold glare, and his amber eyes seemed to pierce her very heart and soul. "You'll regret it." With those words, he turned on his heel and walked back the way he had come. Tsubaki's heart was beating at what felt like a million miles an hour, and she attempted to take several deep breaths to calm herself. She was unsuccessful.

"_I need to get him to the doctor's… but where… oh…! The clinic in Orient Town! That's not far from here at all_!" she thought as she began to drag him as fast as she could without tearing his clothes or hurting him more.

The door to the clinic was thrown open, and Tsubaki called meekly for help as she dragged the near lifeless Jin inside. A young girl came running, and she stared in shock. "Miss Litchi! We have an emergency out here!" she exclaimed as she ran to the other side of Jin and hoisted his legs up. She helped carry him to one of the medical beds, and another woman rushed into the room. "Alright, I need everyone to leave, now," she said sternly as she began to grab some medicinal items.

Tsubaki was literally dragged from the room by the woman's assistant, and she made her take a seat on one of the chairs in the room. "Please… stay here. Everything is going to be alright, I promise," the girl explained as she ran off into the room Jin was in. Tsubaki felt her heart pounding in her chest, and her if it weren't for her crying as much as much as she was able on the way to the clinic, she would still have tears running down her cheeks.

She stared at the room Jin was inside of, and she gently bit her lip. "_Jin… come on… you can pull through this, I know you can_," she thought as she clasped her hands together.

What seemed like an eternity later, Miss Litchi came out into the room where Tsubaki was still seated. "Alright, he's okay now. Everything is stable, and I've managed to stop the bleeding. He won't be able to move for a couple of days, but you can go see him now if you'd like," she said as she placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. Tsubaki nodded as she rose to her feet, and she gave a quick bow at her waist to show her thanks.

She slowly made her way into Jin's room, and she sighed in relief as she saw him laying on the bed. She walked beside his bed, and she slowly dropped to her knees as she kept watching him. "Jin… I'm so sorry this happened to you… I should have stayed by your side… just like I did when we were children," she said quietly as she felt more tears well up in her eyes. "I truly can't protect anyone I care about…"

She felt something brush against her cheek, and she looked up to see Jin running his index finger along her chin before his hand dropped back onto the bed. "You shouldn't… say those things… Tsubaki… you had no control… over what happened to me…" Tsubaki shook her head and looked at him as sternly as she could. "No… I've never been strong like I want to be. And now the people I care about are paying the price for it. I need to become stronger for both myself, and for the people I care about." Jin sighed weakly, and he gave the tiniest of nods as he slowly closed his eyes. Tsubaki gave a tiny and gentle smile, and she rose to her feet.

"_**I'll be back to visit you every day Jin. Every day until you get better…**_"


	5. The Promise

Three days had passed since Jin Kisaragi had been taken into Litchi's clinic, and every day, Tsubaki had come to visit him at the same time to see how he was doing. When noon came around, Jin waited for his daily visit from Tsubaki, but to his surprise, none came. He thought she might have just been running late, but when two more hours passed by, he thought something had to have been going on.

He managed to pull himself into a sitting position, and he held his arm across his chest. He gripped his bedside table as he shakily rose to his feet, and he began to hobble his way out into the main room of the clinic. "Litchi…" Litchi immediately turned her attention towards Jin, and she made her way in front of him. "What on earth are you doing? You're not supposed to be walking around yet. Go get back in your bed," she commanded as she looked at him sternly. Jin glared at her, and then sighed. "Tsubaki… has she come around at all today…?" he asked.

Litchi shot her assistant a glance, and she then shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her today. And that's very odd, because she always makes it," she replied. Jin looked around, and then looked at the door to the clinic. "Litchi… let me leave. I feel fine. There's barely any pain when I walk now. I need to go find Tsubaki," he said as he forced his way past her and began making his way to the door. He was a bit surprised when neither Litchi nor her assistant attempted to stop him, and he placed his hand on the door to slide it open.

"Jin." He stopped and looked behind him, only to see Litchi holding his uniform and his sword. "I would suggest you change before you go out into the city streets like that," she said as she gave him a tiny smile. Jin stared at her for a moment, and then nodded as he took his clothes and weapon from her.

Jin now walked down the street, slowly of course to avoid opening any not completely healed wounds he had received. "_Damn it… the one chance I have to kill Nii-san… I get my ass beaten into the ground… and now Tsubaki hasn't come to visit me. And, if there's one thing I know for certain about Tsubaki, it's that when she puts her mind to something, she has it set and she sees to it that it gets done. So now I have multiple reasons to be concerned_," he thought as he walked along. While he was thinking to himself, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran directly into someone.

"Ah! Damn it, what the hell…" Jin exclaimed as he held his chest. "Oh my, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to…" When both of them finally got themselves together, Jin realized who he had just run into was none other than Tsubaki herself. "Tsubaki…" he said quietly, not understanding why she was here. Tsubaki stared at him for a moment, and then looked away quickly. "Jin! I'm so sorry… I didn't expect you to leave the clinic so soon…! I was on my way to see you…"

Jin sighed, and he glanced away from her. "Why are you so late, Tsubaki? You made me concerned about you for no reason," he muttered quietly. This earned a small blush from Tsubaki, and she gave a gentle smile. "You were concerned about me?" she asked softly. Jin scoffed, and then gave the slightest of a nod. Tsubaki felt her heart skip a beat, and she sighed contently. "Well… I'm sorry I was so late, Jin. I got caught up in something, and I guess I owe you now. So, why don't I treat you for lunch?" Jin looked at her, and then gave another small nod.

Jin and Tsubaki were now seated in one of the Chinese restaurants in Orient Town, and both had just begun to eat what they had gotten. They were both silent for a minute while they ate, and then Tsubaki cleared her throat. "Jin… if you don't mind me asking, how on earth did you end up getting wounded so badly?" she asked quietly. Jin stopped eating, and then placed his chopsticks on the table. "You want to know how I ended up getting hurt so badly, hmm? Well, let me tell you I did something I shouldn't have done. I went after Nii-san…" Tsubaki looked shocked at him, and she shook her head. "Jin! You're telling me you went after Ragna the Bloodedge? All alone? Jin… you shouldn't have gone alone… you should have asked someone to come along with you," she said.

Jin shot her a cold glare, and then sighed. "I wouldn't ask anyone to come along. What I have going on with Nii-san is between him and I. It's personal. Plus, I wouldn't want you to get dragged along into it and risk you getting hurt." Tsubaki gave a soft sigh, and then nodded. "Well, I thank you Jin. But, please, don't go after him again. I don't want you getting hurt like that again… or worse…" she said as she placed her hand on her chest and looked away.

Jin looked at her, and then slowly stood up. "I believe I'm done Tsubaki… thank you for treating me out like this," he said as he turned to walk out the door. Tsubaki stood up and placed what they owed on the table, and then began to follow him. "Where are you going to go now, Jin?" she asked as they both walked out onto the streets of Kagutsuchi again. Jin didn't reply, and then turned to his left. "I have some things I need to take care of. I may gone for a while…" "No! Jin you can't do that! Otherwise I'll have to…!" Tsubaki stopped herself by placing her hand over her mouth, and she looked down.

"Alright, Jin… I guess I'll see you around then…" she said, her voice becoming shaky. Jin sighed quietly, and then began to walk down the street. He was stopped by Tsubaki gripping his forearm, and she quickly leaned up to peck his cheek.

"_**We may not see each other for a while, Jin. So take that as a last gift from me. But, even though we're far apart, we'll always be together. I promised you that when we were children. And, I plan on keeping that promise as long as I'm alive**_."


	6. Decisions

"The day draws closer and closer, Terumi. You do realize this, do you not?" The green-haired man released a deep sigh, and leaned himself back in his chair. "Yes, Relius. I'm not that stupid, ya know. Everything is going just as we planned," he replied as a sly grin crossed his lips. The blonde-haired man gave no reply, but placed his forefinger upon his chin. "Is that so, Terumi? Well then, if everything is going according to plan, what about that little pawn of yours? The one from the Yayoi family?"

This caught Terumi's attention, and he scoffed. "She's nothing to cry over. I told her what to do, and I expect her to do it. Believe me, she will. She wouldn't want to get into trouble with the Imperator and have to deal with all that shit now, would she?" Relius gave the slightest hint of a smile, and then it returned to its normal emotionless state. "Will she? You must remember who you have asked to partake in this part of the act. The Yayoi girl has known that man since childhood, and what's more I believe she has more going on with him than meets the eye."

Terumi laughed, and then gave an unbelieving look at the man in front of him. "You're kidding me, right? That Jin Kisaragi bastard wouldn't know what love is if it hit him straight in the damn face! He's so emotionless and cold!" Relius gave a quiet sigh, and then glanced at Terumi over his shoulder. "The Yayoi girl has already encountered Noel Vermillion. Things are going well, but everything is not set in stone. You of all people should know that, Terumi. If that man happens to come across the Yayoi girl after she used the Izayoi, what will he do? He will notice the effects of what it has done to her."

Terumi groaned, and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and index finger. "Good God, Relius. You overthink things. Just let me handle this crap, and we'll have what we need in no time, okay? I'm already manipulating her into thinking what she needs to think in order for this to work. So, just stop overthinking things and leave this shit to me," he muttered. Relius raised his eyebrow, and then he gave a small nod. "As you wish, Terumi. Just watch out for things." With that, Relius walked towards his office door, and vanished into the outside world.

Tsubaki sat alone in the rain, her clothes and hair drenched. She watched the droplets of water slide down the tips of her hair, and then fall to the ground below her. She felt a large pain in her chest, and she knew what it was. "_Captain Hazama told me about Noel… and he was right. She took everything from me. If she wasn't here… I would be with Jin, just like I was supposed to be_," she thought, her hand twitching slightly because of it. "_I would be by Jin's side, not her. She doesn't deserve to be by his side, especially since I've known him since we were children. Noel… she's so absentminded and she doesn't take her job seriously… Jin doesn't deserve someone like that_…!" she continued, her hand forming itself into a fist.

"I deserve to be by his side… I need to be by his side. Not her," she said as she stood up and gripped her weapon in her hand. She looked off into the distance, and she gave a quiet sigh. "And if that means that I have to eliminate her to be by him… so be it."

Jin now wandered about Kagutsuchi once again, and once again he was after the same goal. "_What that damn cat said won't get out of my mind… what the hell did he mean when he said I should stay away from Tsubaki? Tsubaki would never do anything to hurt me_…" he thought as he trudged along through the rain. "_Oh well. That doesn't concern me anymore. Tsubaki went her own way and I went mine_," he continued as he gripped the hilt of his sword in his hand. "Now I just need to focus on finding Nii-san… I won't lose to him this time. This time Yukianasa will taste his blood… and he'll want more and more…!" he exclaimed to himself.

"Jin Kisaragi!" Jin was stopped by the sound of a female voice calling his name, and he glanced over his shoulder. "What the hell? Noel? Is that you?" he asked as he turned around and saw the blonde-haired girl making his way towards him. "I've found you, Major Kisaragi. You've been accused of multiple charges against the NOL, and you must be punished for them." Jin stared at her, and he raised his eyebrow. "What in the hell are you talking about, Noel?"

Noel drew her weapons from her side, and aimed them directly at him. "Major Kisaragi… based on your charges from the NOL, and as my duty as a soldier of the NOL, you are sentenced to death." Jin leapt to the left just in time to avoid several shots fired from Noel's weapons, and he slashed his sword across the ground to send a wave of ice shards towards her. Noel leapt into the air and continued to fire multiple shots at him, and several of them grazed his uniform. "Goddamn it, just stay the hell away from me!" he exclaimed as he thrust his hand forwards and sent several large icicles flying towards her.

Two of them missed, but the third hit her in the leg and sent her to the ground. "Just give it up, Major Kisaragi!" she commanded as she raised her guns and continued her onslaught of bullets. Jin raised his hand and created a layer of ice in front of his to shield himself from the bullets, but it was becoming weaker and weaker by the second. "_I need to get out of here_…" he thought as he looked around. But, to his dismay, his only escape route was behind Noel, and also behind her rain of bullets.

He heard his shield crack, and he crossed his arms in front of his body, seeing as how that was all he could do. But, to his surprise, the sound of gunshots ceased, and he felt no pain. He looked to see why this had happened, and his eyes widened as he saw who was in front of him. "I won't allow you to hurt him…" Tsubaki glared at the woman in front of her, her weapon in hand and her shield in front of her.

"_**Noel Vermillion**_."


End file.
